George Arthur Roberts, born in 1890.
Leaving Trinidad, he arrives in London at the outbreak of WW1, joins up and gets nicknamed "the coconut bomber" supposedly due to his ability of throwing bombs behind enemy lines, 74 feet no less !!!!
He sustained injuries from both the Battle of Loos and the Somme. After WW1, George fell in love, settled in Lewis Rd Camberwell, got married to Margaret in 1920 and had two children.
When WW2 began, he joined the fire service, working from New Cross Fire Station and saving countless lives during the Blitz, he was awarded the British Empire Medal. Last year there was an online vote for people to nominate who they thought deserved a blue plaque on their home and this week, George was declared the winner. So there you have it, George was not only one of the first black men to join the British Army, but was also one of the first to join the fire service.
Much respect for you Sir
Source:  Ancre Somme Association Scotland

Chinese immigration to Trinidad occurred in four waves. The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Trinidad on 12th October 1806 on the ship Fortitude. Of the 200 passengers who set sail, 192 arrived. They came, not from mainland China, but from Macao, Penang and Canton. This first attempt at Chinese immigration was an experiment intended to set up a settlement of peasant farmers and labourers. The objectives of this experiment were to populate the newly acquired British colony (Trinidad), and more importantly, find a new labour source to replace the African slaves who would no longer be available once slavery and the slave trade were abolished. It was felt that the Chinese immigrants could work on the sugar estates.
Upon arrival, the majority of the immigrants were sent to the sugar plantations. The rest were sent to Cocorite where they lived as a community of artisans and peasant farmers. Living conditions there were awful. Very few of the immigrants stayed on the estates for long. Many of those who decided to stay in Trinidad became butchers, shopkeepers, carpenters and market gardeners. The rest returned to China on the Fortitude. Of the 192 immigrants only 23 opted to stay in Trinidad. The experiment was considered a failure and was never repeated.
The second wave of Chinese immigration took place after the abolition of slavery. Most of the immigrants came from the southern Guangdong province: an area comprising Macao, Hong Kong and Canton. The immigrants arrived in Trinidad as indentured labourers between 1853 and 1866. It was normal for the Chinese to migrate in large numbers to countries in South East Asia, but the period 1853 to 1866 saw them migrating on a global scale to countries such as Australia, Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Trinidad received a small portion of this vast movement. Those who came here included both indentured labourers and free Chinese who migrated voluntarily. The indentured labourers were assigned to work on the estates, and their terms and conditions of employment were the same as those given to the Indian indentured labourers. The Chinese indentureship programme came to an end in 1866 because the Chinese government insisted on a free return passage for the labourers. The British government, which had organised the indentureship programme, felt that this was too costly, and ended the programme.
The third wave of Chinese migration began after 1911 and was a direct result of the Chinese revolution. Between 1920s and 1940s immigration increased significantly. These new immigrants comprised families and friends of earlier migrants. They did not work on the estates but came as merchants, peddlers, traders and shopkeepers.
In addition to the immigrants from China there were also immigrants from other parts of the Caribbean region - mainly Guyana. These were Chinese who had originally served their indentureship on the mainland. Once their period of indentureship was finished they migrated to Trinidad to seek better opportunities.
Migration ceased completely during the period of the Chinese Revolution. However, during the late 1970s when China started opening up to the outside world, migration resumed once more. This was the fourth wave and continues on a small scale up to today.
LIST OF VESSELS ARRIVING IN TRINIDAD WITH CHINESE IMMIGRANTS, 1806-1866

• Fortitude - 12 October 1806
• Australia - March 1853
• Clarendon - 23 April 1853
• Lady Flora Hastings - 28 June 1853
• Maggie Miller/Wanata - 3 July 1862
• Montrose - 18 February 1865
• Paria - 25 May 1865
• Dudbrook - 12 February 1866
• Red Riding Hood - 24 February 186

Source:  National Library and Information System Authority of Trinidad and Tobago 

Author : Angelo Bissessarsingh
Land tortoises (Testudo tabulate), locally known as morocoys once abounded in Trinidad. Not to be confused with the more common red-eared terrapin or ‘galap’ (Trachemys scripta elegans), Morocoys are wholly terrestrial and generally occurred in areas with dry scrubland and deciduous forest. The Amerindian tribes of the North, being descended from Kalinago or Island Carib peoples despised turtle meat as they believed it made one slow and sluggish. In the south however, the Arawakan speaking peoples did consume the morocoy since bones and carapaces (shells) have been discovered in their middens, albeit in small numbers, at Cedros and Erin. The village of Tortuga in the Montserrat Hills was so named because of the large numbers of these animals which could be found there. The real danger to these placid reptiles however, came in the wake of the influx of French settlers who began to arrive in the island after the Cedula of Population in 1783. As would be typical of the gourmands of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, these new immigrants soon found ways of preparing local game and fish to their tastes. The tables of the French Creoles were set with local meats that were treated to the flair of their Gallic heritage. In this way, many species were almost exterminated. The large pigeon known as the Ramier was an early victim and in one description of a dinner given in the 1850s at Cedros, the wooden trestle table was graced with a small mountain of roasted Ramiers, intended to represent a mud volcano on the estate.
Salmi of Morocoy liver was a runaway favourite since the animals could be easily caught and fattened on choice fruits for a banquet. The salmi was prepared by lightly braising the liver of the slaughtered morocoy in a pan allowing the fat content to be removed, and then stewing it in a consommé made from Spanish wine, cayenne pepper, ginger and thyme which was prepared separately and poured hot over the fried liver which being deprived of its fat content, would absorb the essences of the broth. Salmi of Morocoy liver was of widespread popularity, and resulted in the decimation of the species locally. In order to sate the appetites of the French Creoles, traders imported turtles from Venezuela where they were plentiful and sold them live in local markets. As recently as the 1920s, this famous dish was being served on fine china in the best homes across the island where at least on the East Coast (Manzanilla-Mayaro) , potted manatee brains on toast was also an entrée. The following is an account of the morocoy written in 1882:

“Numerous as reptiles are in Trinidad, a few only will be mentioned as deserving notice, either on account of their utility, or of their venomous characteristics. The morocoy and galapa live on soft plants, fruits, and insects ; the morocoy seems to be particularly partial to the wild-plum, which it swallows entire; during the ripening season, several of them may be met with under one tree. Being very slow in their movements, the morocoy and galapa are easily caught ; if near a pond or river, however, the galapa at once dives and escapes under water. Dogs often detect the morocoy by barking at it ; also when coupling, they emit a peculiar grunt which likewise serves to discover them. Besides the (sea) turtle, both the land and fresh-water tortoises are eaten, and when in good season and condition are not to be despised ; the liver of the morocoy is as delicate, or even much richer and choicer than the fuie gras ; it requires the condiments of lime juice, salt, and pepper, and must be dressed in the frying-pan. Morocoys are sometimes kept in pens, and fattened upon ripe plantains, guavas, &c., for the table. By far the greater number of sea and land tortoises exposed for sale in our markets, come from the Main.”
Weekend excursions down the islands which were the pleasure of the upper classes of Port of Spain also caused some inroads on the turtle population. Refrigeration had not yet come to the resort homes on Monos and Gasparee in the 19th century so most food had to be taken alive, such as chickens and turkeys. More often than not, a land tortoise kicking helplessly while lying on its back went along for the ride as well. Though the days of the salmis have passed, this slow reptile’ population is yet to recover to a level anywhere near what it was a couple centuries ago.

The multicultural society of Trinidad and Tobago is made up of numerous different ethnic groups.
The contributions of the Chinese community have made numerable impressions on the lives of all Trinbagonians, from food to Double Ten celebrations. 
Here are five well-known Chinese people who have contributed to T&T’s culture and society:

Sir Solomon Hochoy was born on 20 April 1905 in Jamaica, and arrived in Trinidad at the age of two. He grew up in the village of Blanchisseuse and attended St. Mary's College from 1917 to 1922.
In 1927, he began his distinguished career in the Civil Service. He served in various posts, and quickly worked his way up the organizational ladder. Upon attainment of Independence in 1962, he became the Governor-General until 1972.

A renowned artist, Carlisle Chang’s work is memorialized in the Coat of Arms and national flag of Trinidad and Tobago.
Known as the ‘Father of Art’ in T&T, Chang’s work was prolific and boundary-breaking.  He also served as President of the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago (1984-89). Chang received many awards, including the national honour of the Hummingbird Award in 1964.

Dr Joseph Lennox Pawan was a Trinidadian bacteriologist who was the first person to show that rabies could be spread by vampire bats to other animals and humans.
Dr Pawan attended St. Mary’s College, Port of Spain, and later studied medicine at Edinburgh University.
In 1929, after an outbreak of rabies among cattle, humans began contracting the disease. Dr Pawan found the first infected vampire bat in March 1932 and proved that various species of bat are capable of transmitting rabies for an extended period of time.
In the King's Birthday Honours (1934), Pawan was appointed as a member of the Order of the British Empire for his ground-breaking discovery. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also posthumously named him a "Hero in Health" in 2002.

Dai Ailian, born in T&T, was a Chinese dancer and an important figure in the modern history of dance in China. Her years as a dance teacher and educator helped China build a generation of dancers, choreographers, and educators. She is known in China as the "Mother of Chinese Modern Dance".
She was co-founder of the National Ballet of China and the Beijing Dance Academy. She’s also said to have been the first person to bring western ballet to China in the 1940s.
Do you also have Chinese heritage? Source: The Loop, October 2016

How many of us are cognizant of the fact that the Powergen plant in Port of Spain which was decommissioned in 2016 was the location of the first electricity plant in Trinidad and Tobago?
Private electric generators had been in existence in the island for some time so it was no great novelty . The Waterloo Estate sugar factory had electric lights from as early as 1885 as did the massive sugar works at Usine Ste. Madeleine. Port of Spain however, continued to be illuminated by streetlamps fueled with coconut oil which was both smelly and of poor illumination properties. A gasworks had been erected at La Fantasie in St. Ann’s in the early 1880s but this provided gaslight to only a few wealthy homes in the upper part of the city, including the Governor’s Mansion (now President’s House).
Since 1887, the Town Council had passed an ordinance for the initiation of electric lighting , but it was up to an enterprising businessman named Edgar Tripp to get the ball rolling. He registered a company on July 5th 1894 called “The Electric Light and Power Company” with Trinidad’s richest man, William Gordon Gordon as Chairman, and himself as company secretary. In anticipation of being awarded the concession to provide electric power, Tripp began placing tall cedar poles throughout the city which required the trimming of trees. These were higher than the poles installed in 1885 by the Commercial Telephone Company and that firm objected strenuously since it was feared that contact between the electric and telephone cables could ignite fires. Mere weeks after the electric company was formed the concession came through with the commitment that Port of Spain should have electric lights before March 5th1895. Simultaneously, work was beginning on a generating plant at a place called Shine’s Pasture in Woodbrook which had been leased by Tripp some time before at the princely sum of $100.00 per annum. Mr. Khun, the chief engineer (and incidentally the owner of the island’s first automobile in 1900) pulled off a small miracle in networking a huge coal-fired steam boiler to massive electric dynamos.
The large doings of the electric company raised its share of debate at the Legislative Council as well as in the Town Hall on Knox St. In the latter, Councillor Emmanuel ‘Mzumbo’ Lazare (a brilliant young black lawyer) questioned why lines were not channeled underground instead of being run overhead but he was told that work had progressed too far to consider that option. One has to reflect on the vast difference underground lines would have made to the landscape of Trinidad in later years.
The momentous day arrived on February 25th 1895 when Tripp did a final inspection to much applause, and the lights went on for the first time. The Governor’s wife, Lady Broome, asked for this favour so that he could take the first English cricket team to visit Trinidad on a night drive.
The official launch date however, was a week later. One of the first buildings to benefit from the new power supply was the Queen’s Park Hotel which itself was the result of another one of Edgar Tripp’s business ventures. A subsidiary company was created within the year to provide electric tramcars for the streets . In 1901, controlling interest in the Tripp’s firm was acquired by a Canadian businessman who simultaneously signed a 30 year contract to provide power through a new entity, the Trinidad Electric Company. In addition to supplying power and tram services, the TEC sold electric appliances , operated an ice factory to manufacture the cold stuff from pure tap water, and undertook general electrical contracts for private individuals. The original coal boiler installed by Mr. Khun was eventually converted to run on oil and boosted with the addition of more dynamos. The colonial government acquired the firm after 1933 and this was to usher in an island wide electrification drive since there was no public power grid outside of Port of Spain, and San Fernando which had its own private generator since 1923 as will be seen in next week’s column. Thus, as the clock ticks for the winding-down of operations at the POS Powergen plant, it would be well to reflect for a moment on the distant days now past when Edgar Tripp made the nights brighter with electricity for the first time , 120 years ago. Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh, the Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago

The coalpot and canaree were once fixtures of every kitchen, large and small, rich and poor from at least the 18th century right up until proper gas stoves and cylinders became available after the 1950s. The coalpot is pretty straightforward. Nowadays they are manufactured locally from alight, durable pot-metal alloy but still are pretty authentic in shape. The original examples however (and these have now become prized antiques to those who have them), were of cast iron. The earliest form was imported from foundries in England and sported two iron rings on either end which marginally isolated the cook from the heat when having to move the pot whilst still filled with burning coals. There are few who would argue with me when I assert that a meal cooked on a coalpot in the proper old fashioned way is far more flavourful than anything prepared on a modern range.The portable nature of the coalpot made it useful for families who lived in confined spaces like the barrackyards around Port of Spain or in the barrack-ranges on the sugar plantations. A simple one-pot dish could be prepared in short order which usually combined rice with some type of legume (red beans, black-eyed peas, dhal etc.) or greens like ochroes or bhagi. Many of these frugal-yet-tasty one-pot collations have remained fixtures of the national palate.
The Canaree on the other hand is infinitely older. The first indigenous pottery-making cultures arrived in Trinidad around 250 BC. Classed as Saladoid because of the typing of their ceramics at Saladero in Venezuela, these first peoples supplanted an earlier hunter-gatherer set which had persevered since 6,000 B.C. The canaree or stewpot was used for the cooking of pepperpot which was a melange of vegetables, meat and spices . Key to the pepperpot was cassareep which is the juice of the poisonous bitter cassava, squeezed out using a basketwork tube known as a couleve and rendered harmless by boiling and adding red capsicum peppers. Cassareep has preservative properties so that as long as the pepperpot was kept boiling over a slow fire, it could be sustained indefinitely by adding fresh cassareep and ingredients. This characteristic made it invaluable to early settlers who had more pressing issues to occupy their time than just cooking meals. Even in the poorest of households, the pepperpot had a place since it freed the housewife to attend to other domestic affairs.
The great-houses on the sugar and cocoa plantations of the ruling planter elites kept a pepperpot bubbling at all times in a huge canaree. In an era when roads were unmade tracks and travellers could be stranded in the rainy season since most rivers were unbridged, the pepperpot was an easy way to provide a hot meal when served up with boiled rice or ground provisions. Some more magnanimous grand folk like Robert Guppy –a 19th century Mayor of San Fernando- kept an open table in a back veranda of their homes where poor persons (usually old retainers of the household who had outlived their productive years and were near vagrancy) could sit and have a dish of pepperpot. The Canarees of the 19th and early 20th centuries were most often rough, fired earthenware, imported from Barbados and manufactured near the clay pits near Chalky Mount. Some were locally made by Indian potters but these were considered to be of inferior strength and not able to take constant heat over the years.
By far the most legendary pepperpot in the island was the one at Woodbrook Estate which was a sugar plantation from the 1780s right up to 1899 when it was sold and laid out in small building lots. The estate house, which stood where Woodbrook Fire Station is now, was a simple wooden structure and in its last days, was inhabited by a ruddy, loud Scottish manager named Watson. In the detached kitchen, a massive canaree, blackened by age and flame, bubbled over a slow fire. The Woodbrook Pepperpot in the 1890s was rumoured to be over 100 years old and was rated for its fine flavour , no doubt because all the original ingredients had long since disintegrated into a spicy broth. The Woodbrook pepperpot was outdone by the Diamond Estate pepperpot of Demerara in British Guiana which in the same period was already said to be near two centuries old. That must have been a flavorful dish indeed! Although popular in Guyana, the pepperpot is now rarely tasted in Trinidad, yet it continues to be part of our earliest culinary roots.

Charcoal was much preferred to wood for cooking fires in Trinidad for most of the 19th and well into the latter half of the 20th century. It burnt with a bright, hot flame and produced little smoke. Few people could appreciate the labour needed to produce the fuel in the high woods of the colony. A significant percentage of the charcoal consumed by North Trinidad came from the virgin high woods of Valencia, Tamana and Cumuto. The burners lived lonely existences in the forest. First, they would have to hew down mighty trees, dig pits to hold them, set the tree alight and then cover it with layers of loose earth and burlap. This allowed the log to burn without flame. The heat of the fire was controlled by constantly wetting the sacking. A pit of charcoal could take up to eight days to produce. The fuel was put into sacks, the mouths of which were secured with dry lianas or jungle vines, and then carted to market.
A common sight on the Eastern Main Road of yesteryear would be long lines of coal carts trundling towards the capital in the twilight of early morning. Carters would snatch this opportunity to get some much needed sleep. A young prankster in the 1920s once decided that the best joke would be to turn the mules back in the opposite direction whilst the carters slept, so on that particular morning, Port-of-Spain was short of fuel for breakfast bakes and buljol. Some of the carters went directly to the old Borough Market on Charlotte St to await the five o’clock opening bell, whilst others would make their way to merchants in the city with whom they had a business relationship.
A 100-pound sack generally cost between 12 and 20 cents. Dishonest burners would use a large amount of soft and rotted wood, which produced a charcoal that was consumed faster than hardwood coals. They would fill the bags largely with balsa or soft coal and top it off with a layer of hard fuel, so that even customers who inspected the contents could be caught unawares. A facet of a bygone era was the city coal shop. This was often operated out of the yard of a private residence and consisted of a bin made out of galvanized sheets and wood shingles in which coal bags were deposited. The coal shops served an economic need for people who had no call for or could not afford an entire 100-lb bag of coals and thus needed to purchase quantities by the three cents’ worth. Coals were also sold in small quantities from the dozens of Chinese shops of yesteryear. The coming of bottled LPG gas and electric ranges in the 1950s spelled the end of an era for the coal trade, but as any good Trini will tell you, no food is as sweet as when cooked on a coal-pot.
Photo : Burning charcoal in a Trinidad forest circa 1910. The charcoal pit, covered in earth and sacking is seen emitting smoke. 
Source: - Angelo Bissessarsingh, September 2, 2012